Open Your Heart
by waywardflame
Summary: Mimiru centric fic implied Shojo-ai. After the events of ep.26 Mimiru can't stop thinking about Tsukasa and soon finds she has feelings for Tsukasa but she won't tell anyone. She can't afford to change the existing world; no matter how much it hurts her
1. Silent Life

Disclaimer: .HACK//sign me no ownie

I wrote this fic because Mimiru is my favorite character in .hack and I felt that she was shunted off to the side for the later half of the show. I always felt that Mimiru had feelings for Tsukasa, so I wondered how Mimiru felt after Tsukasa started spending more time with Subaru than with her even though she was the first to bring Tsukasa out of her (his) shell.  

The timeline for this fic is a month after the end of .HACK//sign and will be written in Mimiru's point of view for the most part.  As Tsukasa is a girl in real-life and most of this fic takes place in reality Tsukasa will be referred to as a girl.  I decided that Mimiru, Tsukasa, and Subaru are the real names of those people as opposed to a nickname like BT, Bear, and Krim.

Open Your Heart

Chapter One

Silent Life

        _Drip, drop._Rain hit the windows of my bedroom and slowly ran down the glass.  Dark clouds of gloom hung in the sky.I sighed, how ironic that the weather would reflect my how feelings.  I had been feeling down and gloomy for awhile now.  I don't have any idea why.  Hell, I had no reason to be depressed at all.  Only a month ago we defeated the evil thing that had trapped Tsukasa in THE WORLD.  My heart panged and I winced.  My heart always seemed to hurt when I thought about Tsukasa.  I wondered what Tsukasa was doing right now….maybe she's hanging out with Subaru.  My heart suddenly felt like it was made of lead, damn I hated that feeling.  It always happened when I thought about Subaru; but it felt the worst when I thought about Tsukasa and Subaru together…  

        I looked over at my computer.  It had my head set and controller for THE WORLD sitting the desk.  I hadn't logged on to the world for awhile.  Not since we saved Tsukasa.  I hadn't really felt like it since.  Maybe it was because I didn't really have a reason to anymore.  I think everyone is taking a break form THE WORLD after we were on it practically 24/7.  I also had fallen behind in school because I was putting so much into Tsukasa's problem, so I used the time to catch up.  

        School…I looked over at my bedside clock.  It was 7:30 AM; I had to start getting ready for school.  My school was an average high school; nothing very fancy about it.  I surprised I made it into high school.  I'm pretty poor at academics.  Some people can just under stand things after being only told about it once.  Me on the other hand; I have to listen and take notes even if I'm not required to. Simply to understand what we are doing.  But I am very good at our secondary classes like art and gym.  I can draw and paint well and I am on the track and field team.  

        I slowly took off my pajamas and put on my school uniform.  The uniform was the average sailor uniform: blue skirt and collar with a red bow.  Then I began slowly making my way down to breakfast.  I walked slowly down the stairs into our small kitchen.  My mother, Izumi, was cooking eggs on the stove.  "Morning dear." She greeted cheerfully.  

        "G'morning." I respond dully.  I walked over and took out the cereal and poured myself a bowl; same routine everyday.  "Where is dad?" I asked.  I knew the answer but I asked anyway.

        "He left for work an hour ago."

        "I knew it…" I said softly to myself.  Dad always for left work early, but God damn!!  Never that early!  He must be trying to get a stupid promotion or something.  I hate him.  He never spends anytime with me.  Not even to show me of like his friends do their kids.  Its probably because I'm stupid.  I guess being on the track team isn't enough for him.  

        I shook my head.  _Stop thinking like that Mimiru!  Don't depress yourself even more than you already are! I told my self firmly.  I quickly finished off the rest of my cereal just as my mom sat down to eat hers.  _

        "Your lunch is in the fridge." She told me.  I nodded and got my lunch out of the fridge. I was only allowed to buy lunch once a week because Dad said it was a waste of money but Mom said I should be able to have it on Fridays as a treat.  I took an umbrella out of the closet and grabbed my leather book-bag.  

        "Bye Mom! I'm going to school!" I called to her and without waiting for a response I left.  I opened up the umbrella and began walking the eight blocks to school.  At the second block I met up with my best friend Sadamoto Megumi.  "Hello Megumi-Chan."  I said as I walked up to her.  She looked up from the book she was reading and smiled.

        "Hello Mimiru-Chan."  WE began to walk the rest of the way to school together like always.  Megumi had shoulder length black hair that she usually wore in a French braid.  She was tall and very attractive.  Her parents were both CEO's of huge corporations and were home even less than my father.  They expected her to always achieve the highest grades in the school; they wanted her to be perfect to be sure that she would get a high paying job in the future.  "Hana says you have accessed THE WORLD in awhile.  She was hoping that you two would be able to get through a high-level dungeon together."

        "…I haven't been to THE WORLD for almost a month now." I responded.

        "Seriously?! You used to be totally obsessed with it!  Did your parents ground you from it?"

        "No. I just haven't felt like it."

        "I wonder if I had it I would even like it." She wondered aloud.  Megumi's parents hadn't allowed her to get THE WORLD.  They thought it would make her grades drop.  I wondered if she ever felt left out because almost everyone in our entire school at least had THE WORLD.  But just because they had it didn't necessarily mean they played it. 

        The school loomed ahead of us, students with umbrellas filled the front yard.  We walked into the school and shook the rain off the umbrellas out the door.  "Mimiru-Chan!"  Two voices called and I looked around.  A girl with short hair and glasses and another girl with a long ponytail coming off the back of her head ran up to me and hid behind my back.  It was Eika (the one with the ponytail) and Hana (the one with the glasses).

        "Uh…What's up guys?" I tried to look at them.  

        "Watanabe is being a perv again!" Hana yelled.

        "We need you to kick his ass like usual!" Eika explained.  I sighed.  Watanabe Ichiro was the class pervert.  He had been flipping skirts since fourth grade and grabbing breasts/groping since sixth.  The girls in my class decided that it was my job to beat the crap out of him when he did something perverted.  I had gotten the job when I kicked him in the shins after flipping my skirt in fourth grade.  

        "Not today.  I'm not in the mood." I explained to them bleakly. They looked a bit shocked and a little disappointed.  

        "B-but he-he needs to be punished!" Hana attemped to convince me.  I shook my head.

        "I can't.  But I'll do it double hard when he does it again though. I swear."  I turned around headed off to my home classroom and sat down at my desk. Everyone was talking to their friends and class mates or doing their before school jobs before the bell rang.  I took out the notes I took yesterday and began reading over them.  Soon the class began to sit at there desks and got ready before our first teacher, Honda-Sensei, came in.  When she did our Class Representative, Nonaka Chiharu, took over and the school routine began.

        "Stand!" She commanded.  The class did.  "Bow!"  As I bowed I could see a bit of the track.  It was muddy and full of puddles.  "And Sit!"  Honda-Sensei began today's math lesson with her usual 'math is very important to your future' speech.  _It is going to be a long day _I thought bitterly to myself.  

        As the day moved on the rain did not clear up and kept on pouring down.  There was defiantly not going to be practice to today.  The day dragged and my classes sucked more than they usually did.  Even the classes I liked like Home Economics weren't any fun.  Finally the day ended.  

        "Its finally over, thank god." I sighed as a put my shoes.  "You gonna walk home with me?" I asked Megumi.  She shook her head. 

        "No, I have math club today.  Sorry."  

        "No its okay.  I see you tomorrow then?"  She nodded.  "Bye." I said.  She waved.  I opened my umbrella and went on my way.  _Maybe I'll log on to THE WORLD today. _I thought_.  Maybe Tsukasa will be on too…but then again so could Subaru or Sora.  What?  Why the hell do I care weather Subaru is on?  I don't even know Subaru that well come to think.  She always seemed all nicey-nice.  I stopped as an urge overcame me, I was about five blocks from home.  _

        I wanted to run, needed to run.  I let down my umbrella and used the buckles on my book bag to strap it onto the book bag.  I crouched down into the starting position.  "It's Toyaguchi Mimiru at the starting line!"  I commentated for myself.  "She is the one who will decide whether her team goes home with the championship or not!  Ready, set, GO!"  I took off as fast as I could go.  My feet pounded the sidewalk as I hurtled forward.  The raindrops hit my face so hard that they stung a little bit.  I wouldn't stop; I loved this feeling.  I enjoyed every second of it.  I stumbled to a stop before my house, panting.  I was soaking wet from taking down my umbrellabut I felt a sense of achievement.  If that had been timed I think I would have been my previous record for that distance.  I walked into my house my happiness was interrupted by my mother.

        "Mimiru!  You're soaked!" She snapped at me.  Then she noticed the umbrella strapped to my book bag.  "Why didn't you use your umbrella?!"

        "I did!" I protested.  "I just set it down so I could run!"  

        "Save running for the track!" She scolded.  "Now run yourself a bath so you don't catch a cold."  I nodded and walked up the stairs to my bathroom.  It was my bathroom bcause my parents had one in their room, so I decided that this one was mine.  I walked in and started the water.  I set my book bag on the small table that stood beside the bathtub and stripped off my wet clothes.  I hung them on the on the towel rack to dry a bit.  Then I lowered myself in to the luxurious warm water.  I leaned my back against the backend of the tub and proceeded to enjoy myself.  Then an obnoxious ringing interrupted my relaxation.  It was my cell phone.  I fished it out of my book bag.  The caller ID identified as Unknown Caller.  Maybe it was Watanabe; he was calling me all last week asking for a date.  I answered the call; I was gonna chew him out so bad...

        "Watanabe, you stupid jackass!  I wouldn't go out with you if you were the last guy on earth!"

        "Uh…"  The person on the other end made a small confused noise; it sounded like a girl?  "Is this Toyaguchi Mimiru?"

        "The one and only."  

        "Um…This is Nakata Tsukasa.  You know, Tsukasa from THE WORLD?"

        ~end Chapter One

        Well the is the first chapter of Open Your Heart, welcome!  It would be really nice if you would review because it lets me know that people are reading this.  Constructive criticism is welcomed, flames are not.  This is my first .HACK fic so please be gentle!!     

      


	2. Sit Beside Me

Disclaimer: .HACK//sign me no ownie

        First of all thank you to all that reviewed, that really gave me confidence that I was doing okay in writing a .hack story.  Second, I was told by a nice reviewer (Thank you Broken Miho) that Tsukasa and Subaru are not the real-life names of those characters.  But just for the sake of the fic I am going to pretend that Tsukasa is her real name (I don't really like the name 'An')but Subaru will retain her real name, hopefully that's okay with everyone.  

        On a completely unrelated note , I decided that because the name of this fic is Open Your Heart, which is a name of a .hack//SIGN song, that all the other chapters will be named after .hack songs too!  This is basically so I can have some fun picking out the titles. :P

Open Your Heart

Chapter Two

Sit Beside Me

        "Ts-Tsukasa?!" I managed to stutter. The formally pleasantly steamy and warm bathroom suddenly felt hot and overly humid. _'Would Tsukasa of THE WORLD really call me?'_ I thought to myself.  '_No, probably not.__  I don't think she would, why would she?  We had no reason to meet outside THE WORLD!'  "Who is this really?!"  It was too good to be true; it wasn't really Tsukasa._

        "No!  This really is her!" The person on the other end cried.

        "Prove it to me," I demanded.  This person would not get away with a nasty joke like this; if I could make them prove that they weren't Tsukasa then I could yell and scream at them.

        "I am a Wavemaster in THE WORLD, with silver hair and amethyst eyes.  My hide away spot is the Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground in Theta Server.  Is that good enough?" The person responded, sounding a bit desperate.  I caught my breath only a few people would know that information; Me, Subaru, Sora, BT, Krim, Bear and Tsukasa herself.  None of the others would sound like this voice like a young girl except for Tsukasa and Subaru.  Subaru and I didn't know each other very well, and therefore we had no reason to contact each other.  It really was Tsukasa.

        "It really is you!  I'm sorry I doubted you."  I told her, feeling guilty.   

        "No, its no big deal.  I should have expected it.  After all who gets calls from people you've met over the internet?"

        "So why are you calling?" I asked.  My mind began shooting off ideas and reasons at the speed of light.  _'Maybe she wanted to meet me in the world?  No, that couldn't be it; she could just send me an email.  Maybe she can't use her computer right now and wants to set up a meeting a awhile away.'_

"Awhile ago, you said that if I ever exited the world we could go to Shimokitozawa together.  So…I was wondering if-if you still wanted to go?  I mean you don't have to if you don't want to, I'll understand if you don't..." Tsukasa broke off into incoherent mumbling about understanding if I didn't want to go.  

        "I…I," I couldn't speak, my mind was reeling.  Memories flashed through my mind as though I was watching them in a movie theater.  Tsukasa was giving me a staff made of silver; I was talking about a bag I wanted, I was talking to her about coming with me to Shimokitozawa after we cleared everything up.  Had she remember that this whole time?  Had it meant something to her?  "Yes, yes I'd love to go."

        "Okay!"  Tsukasa sounded happy and relieved.  "When and where should we meet?"

        "How about Saturday after school, say one 'o' clock?  We can have lunch at this nice café there.  It's called 'Piece of Cake' it's the only name all in English you can't miss it!"

        "Okay, sounds good.  See you then."  There was a click as Tsukasa hung up the phone. I stared at it for along time, I had just gotten a call from Tsukasa.  I never thought I would be able to meet her in real life, let alone have lunch with her.  It was almost has though it was meant to be.  _'No, that kind of stuff is for fairy tales not reality.'_ I told myself.

*~*~*~*~*

        "Mimiru-Chan!  Please stop jiggling your leg!  You're making the whole table shake!"  Megumi cried.  It was Saturday and we were in art class.  I didn't usually fidget in art because I liked art and didn't want it to end so soon.  But today, I was very eager to meet Tsukasa in Shimokito' and couldn't wait for school to be over.  I hadn't told my friends about this, though.  I wasn't sure why but for some reason I didn't want to tell them about Tsukasa, maybe it was because something about having this secret mad me feel good.   

        "Hmm…you are really distracted to day," Hana gave me a sweeping look.  "What's going on?"

        "I'm going to Shimokito'," I had to struggle to keep the excitement out of my voice.  Going to Shimokitozawa wasn't really THAT big of deal.  Sure, it was a great place to hang out, shop and eat, but it wasn't really a big treat.  The actually big thing was to save up a good amount of money and then go shop 'till you drop'.  

        "Wow, we just went a couple months ago did you already get more money?"  Eika asked.

        "No, I'm meeting a…old friend, no shopping this time."  

        "Oh, that's nice."  

        We had worked in silence after that conversation.  They could tell that I wanted to keep the identity of the person I was meeting hidden, so we stopped talking about it.  "Twenty seconds left!"  I cried looking at the clock.  Tick-tock the second hand slowly made its way up to the 12 on the clock.  The clock struck twelve and the bell rang.  "Bye guys!"  I cried as I grabbed my bag and hurried through the door.

        I hurried through the sea of students and out through the main doors.  My excitement was giving me adrenaline as thought about meeting Tsukasa.  I ran down the streets; dodging other students from many different school who were walking home.   The metro station wasn't too far from my school so it only took me about fifteen minutes to get there.  I fished my Year Pass out of my bag and slid it through the machine.  The bars opened I walked through the gate.  I looked up at the huge clock in the station.  It was 12:17, I had barely made it in time for the 12:20 train. 

        "The train is now arriving at the station please stand back and wait for the doors to open," The emotionless female recording instructed.  People flooded out of the train and I had to fight to get in.  I chose to stand near the window so I could watch the city.  I loved watching looking out windows and seeing everything.  I Stumbled a little as the train began to depart.  I stared out the window for the entire twenty minute ride, as if there was anything better to do though.  The train stopped at Shimokitozawa station me and a number of other people departed into the station.    I made my way through the station and onto the streets.  It was a beautiful and many people were looking at things in the showcase windows and eating in the outs of the cafés.  I walked down about to blocks to Piece of Cake. 

        A girl was leaning against the window of the café.  She had short brown hair and green eyes.  She was wearing a school uniform that was a knee-high green skirt in jumper style with a white shirt underneath and a red tie.  She was also wearing white knee high socks and black shoes.  Her eyes followed every person and occasionally she made like she was going to approach some one but then shook her head and went back to leaning against the window.  _'This is Tsukasa'_ I thought.  I knew that was because I had the same feeling about this girl that I'd had when I first met Tsukasa in THE WORLD.  I walked up to her.  "Tsukasa?"

        "Mimiru?"  I nodded and her face broke into a smile.  "Mimiru!  You came!"  She flung her arms around me and hugged me.  My heart began to beat rapidly and my face flushed.  _'Why do I feel this way?'  I wondered.  __'I've never felt this way before.' Tsukasa pulled away._

        "S-shall we g-go have lunch now?" I stuttered.  She nodded and we walked into the café.  I ordered a mocha and a blueberry muffin while Tsukasa ordered a chocolate croissant and a vanilla espresso.  "Sorry this isn't really lunch."

        "No, its fine.  I like this kind of stuff."  Tsukasa replied.  We sat down at a table in the corner of the café's outdoor patio.  

        "So what school do you go to?" I asked.

        "Tomoshiro Academy, my foster father pays for it."  Seeing the confused look on my face she added, "I believe you know my foster father as Bear."

        "That's why I was confused and actually still am.  I thought that Bear was going to adopt you." I frowned.

        "He's trying to adopt me.  There a huge court battle going on with my fa-" Her face darkened, "The man that was my father.  He doesn't want to give me up.  But let's not talk about such depressing things.  Do you do any extra curricular activities?"

        "Yeah I'm on the Track and Field team.  Do you do any activities?"  Tsukasa sighed.

        "Track team, lucky you.  Because I was in the coma for so long I lost a lot of muscle in my legs, so I can't do a lot of hard core sports.  But I am in the school Symphony for Violin which I like."

        "What's a School Symphony?" I asked, confused.

        "It's a combination of the really good orchestra and band students, and some times the advanced choir joins us too.  The teacher picks who has the chance to be in it and then you have to try out.  We practice after school and get to go to places and perform, so it's pretty cool."   
  


        "So I take it you've been playing violin for awhile."

        "Yes, ever since first grade."  I smiled.  Talking like this with Tsukasa made me feel truely happy for the first time in a month.  There was an odd feeling in my heart, but it was a good feeling.  I liked this feeling.  

        "I have no musical talent whatsoever.  I am much more of a sports person." I laughed, Tsukasa laughed with me.  I thought that she had a very nice laugh; it was pretty and almost musical.  

        "Oh dear," Tsukasa looked at her watch.  "I have to leave now or I'll be late."  I felt disappointment surge through my body like poison, but I pushed it down. 

        "Okay then I'll go home to."  We threw away our trash and walked out the door to the metro station.  We walked in silence as we made our way to the station.  It was only until we were waiting for our trains (We didn't take the same trains) that Tsukasa spoke.  

        "I had a really good time today, thank you Mimiru_-Chan." I grinned._

        "No problem Tsukasa_-Chan_.  Where are you going anyhow?"  

        "I'm going to meet Mariko." Tsukasa's train rolled into the station.

        "Who?"  The doors opened.

        "I believe you know her as Subaru.  Bye."  She turned and entered the train.  A lead weight was flung into my stomach at that sentence.  All traces of happiness gone.  I winced.  This feeling…it hurt.  It was like jealousy, but yet it was unlike jealousy.  I didn't want Subaru and Tsukasa together, that's all I knew.  I turned as my train entered the station.

        These feelings; I didn't understand them.  

        Chapter two done!!  If some of you didn't understand the –Chan thing I'll try to explain it.  The suffix '-Chan' is attached to small children and between good (female) friends.  So by Tsukasa calling Mimiru '-Chan' it was like saying "you're one of my good friends" and vice-versa. 

        So anyway please review because it lets me know the people are reading this story and enjoying it.  Constructive criticism is welcomed, flames are not.


	3. Interlude

Disclaimer: .HACK//sign me no ownie

        Remember this takes place one month after freeing Tsukasa and Aura.  The events that happen in the .hack games happen four months after that.  So currently Morganna is biding her time and has not been causing much trouble.

Open Your Heart

Chapter Three

Interlude

        I stood before my computer.  I had been avoiding THE WORLD for awhile now, because I was afraid of what I may find there.  But If I was really honest with my self I really did want to log on again.  Maybe I would ask Tsukasa to meet with me.  

        Tsukasa…

        I couldn't stop thinking about her.  I couldn't understand why though.  It was weird No one had ever been on my mind so much.  How do I feel Tsukasa?  I don't know.  The feelings I feel about her are different than any feelings I've ever felt before.  I really want to know what they mean, but at the same time I'm rather scared.  What if they only mean pain?  What if I regret knowing what they mean?

Subaru…I didn't understand my feeling about her either.  They weren't positive feelings I knew that.  But I couldn't analyze them. Why?  I don't know.  Maybe I was afraid of knowing about a deep ugliness inside myself.  It was all so confusing.  

        I turned from the computer to the door.  I had to begin making my way through the same old routine.  I walked through the door and down the stairs.  I had breakfast in the same old way I did everyday.  I walked to the corner and met Megumi as always.  We walked to school together in the same fashion we did every other day.  This day would have been like any other if not for a conversation I had with my friends.

        We were standing outside the drinking fountain during our morning break when it began.  "Um, Mimiru-Chan?  Can I ask you something?" Eika asked uncertainly.

        I fished for a book in my book bag.  "Sure, go ahead."

        "Do you have a boyfriend that you're not telling us about?"

        I dropped my book bag in shock.  It hit the floor spilling out my notebooks and papers. "What?!"

        Hana took over for Eika.  "Well you told us that you were going to meet an old friend on Saturday.  And, well, you just seemed so excited that…"

        "We thought that it might be a boy.  A boy who is maybe a bit more than just a friend?" Megumi finished for them. 

        I stared between them in shock.  They actually thought that I was meeting a boy?! Well considering how Tsukasa had been a boy in THE WORLD that was closer to the truth in an odd sort of way.  I almost smiled at that thought but instead forced my self to have a serious expression.  "No, I am not meeting a boy."

        "That's good.  I would hope that you would tell us if you were meeting someone." Come to think you don't have a boyfriend do you?" She said as though just noticing that fact.  Even though I have NEVER had a boyfriend

        "Niether do you!" Eika broke in.

        "Yes she does!" Megumi cried.  "Hirachi Touya asked her out yesterday!"

        "Really?" I asked, hoping to move the focus of the conversation from me to her.  I didn't really feel comfortable talking about things like love right now, because I didn't really understand it.  I was familiar with the word, but not the emotion.

        We squealed and giggled about Hana's new boyfriend.  It was a bit interesting, but not something I really cared for.  I would have rather been talking about something else.

        "Toyaguchi-San!" A voice broke through our conversation.  I looked up at the sound of my name.  It was Eri Yoshiyuki, the Track team captain.  He was tall with messy brown hair and blue eyes and a nice smile.  He was a sophomore and one of the most popular guys in school.  He was even more popular than some of the seniors! I knew decently well as he was our captain, but we weren't even on a first name basis.  He walked up to us.

        "Oh, Eri-San, nice to see you.  What brings you here?" I smiled at him.

        "Please call me Yoshiyuki," He said with a grin.  "Anyway, I'm here to tell you that because we have a competition coming up that practice will be an hour longer for the next two weeks.  I had the teachers tell everyone else; so please let your parents know."

        "Okay I will."

        He turned and waved as he walked away.  "See you later Toyaguchi-San"

        "See ya," I turned to my friends; they were staring at me, awestruck.  "What?"

        Eika spoke slowly.  "Eri Yoshiyuki likes you.  One of the most popular guys in school has a crush on you."  Had it been anyone other than Eika I might have believed it a little more.  Eika was very much a romantic and she tended to get very over excited over relationships especially ones involving her friends. So when it came to matters of the heart Eika isn't one I would trust.

        "No he doesn't," I stated.  "You have no proof."

        "He came here to see you.  Only tenth graders have classes in this hallway, why else would he come?  And he didn't have teacher tell you about practice; he told you himself so he could see you!"

        I sighed and turned to Hana and Megumi.  "What do you guys think?"  I asked hoping they would tell me that the idea was ludicrous.  Its not that I wouldn't like Yoshiyuki having a crush on me, he was very cute.  But it didn't seem to fit with reality; it didn't seem to be possible.

        "Well…He did seem to come here to see you instead of having a teacher tell you," Megumi said thoughtfully.  "But it could just be that he likes you, like as a friend."  The bell rang, telling us it was time for our next class.  I sighed; life was so confusing.

*~*~*~*

        "Go! Go! C'mon C'mon go!" I urged my fellow teammate on as I stretched my hand out for the baton.  He hurtled up to me and I grabbed the baton.  I felt the cool metal against my skin; the signal to run.  I whipped around and ran.  Nothing mattered except making it to the finish line.  Nothing else was important.  My entire being depended on making it there.  If I failed…  I flashed under the wire and slowed down till I came to a stop.  

        I sighed and rested my hands on my knees.  I had run well; better than last time.  I smiled; we had a good chance at winning the competition.  Yoshiyuki's voice rang through the air.  "Everyone come meet at halfway!"  We all walked to the fifty meter marker.  Yoshiyuki smiled at us.  "Okay, everyone good job; we ran good and hard today.  But it's still not enough if we want to win.  I'll expect you all to be here for the rest of the practices until the competition.  For the relay race I think we'll keep our order: me as the first runner, Matsuda as the second, Takenouchi as third and Toyaguchi as the final runner.  See you all tomorrow."  We all changed and then said our goodbyes.  I turned to leave when Yoshiyuki's voice met my ears.  "Umm, Toyaguchi-San?

        "Please call me Mimiru." 

        "Okay then, Mimiru," He said slightly embarrassed.  "Can I ask you something."

        "Okay," I said, noting that this was the second time today I'd been asked that. 

        "Um, I was wondering if you maybe want to go see a movie sometime?  And maybe get some ice cream after?"

        My jaw dropped.  Yoshiyuki had just asked me out and Eika had been right?  Why hadn't anyone told me pigs were flying?  "But-but why me?" I sputtered. "You could date anyone; Cheerleaders, popular girls and even older girls!"

        "Do any of us know all our reasons for liking others?" he asked.  "I know that I like your personality, your pretty and we both like to run."

        "For how long have you liked me?" I asked.

        "Like four months, but I wasn't to sure if I should tell you in case it passed over.  But now I have decided that I really like you"

        I sighed and ran my hand through my hair.  It was really flattering and he was really cute.  But it was also really weird and awkward. I had never had a boyfriend before, this was so foreign.  "Well, I need some time to think.  Please give me awhile to decide."  He nodded and I said goodbye to him.  

        "Please think about it," He said as I left.

       I walked home in a daze.  This just didn't seem right!  A popular guy asking me out?  It was just wrong.  But then again Yoshiyuki was really nice and I had known him for awhile.  I wondered if he had showed signs of liking me before and I hadn't noticed.  I suppose I could date him and find that I do in fact like him.  But what if it ended up that I didn't like him and couldn't date him?  Could I really hurt him like that?

        I walked into my room and dropped my backpack on the floor.  I turned on the computer to check my email; I really should email my friends about Yoshiyuki.  "You have one new email!" The monotone voice rang out, telling the situation to me.  I opened up my inbox.  The email was from the name **Amethyst_Magician@jpmsn.com** I didn't know that person by address.  I opened up the email.  

**From: Amethyst_WaveMaster @jpmsn.com**

**To: KnightBlade_Girl@jpmsn.com **

**Subject: THE WORLD**

**Hiya**** Mimiru! It's me Tsukasa!  I hope you opened this even though you didn't recognize the address.  Yeah, I know I should have used my email from THE WORLD but I wasn't thinking.  So anyway I was wondering if you wanted to meet me in THE WORLD on Wednesday?  We could go explore a dungeon together.  Please respond as soon as possible!**

**Tsukasa **

        I couldn't contain the smile the broke out across my face as I read this.  I would be back in THE WORLD with Tsukasa in two days.  I quickly typed my response; misspelling many words in my excitement.  Then I leaned back in my chair and stared up at the ceiling.  The mixed up feeling left over from my encounter with Yoshiyuki were gone.

        For the first time that day things felt right.

        Yeah so now we meet Yoshiyuki.  I thought that it would be good that since it was Mimiru having feelings for Tsukasa that it would be interesting if she had someone liking her.  So now Mimiru has hurting his feeling because she likes Tsukasa.  So anyway please review because it lets me know the people are reading this story and enjoying it.  Constructive criticism is welcomed, flames are not.


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